Anklet Memories: II The Proposal
by Catii'aSofii'a
Summary: Sequel to "Anklet Memories". Neal tells his daughter how he proposed to Sarah...Future-Fic/One-Shot
1. Chapter 1

**Hi my White Collar's readers. Here's another treat for you. A follow up from the "Anklet Memories". This time, with Neal's little girl. I hope you like it. It's a short fluff story. I love writing family stories!**

**Enjoy it and leave your opinion. I really care about what you think and you know…depending on what you think I might write the third one! :D**

**All of the banners for my stories will be on my profile in fifteen, twenty minutes! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot, Nicholas Caffrey and Clara Caffrey.**

"…and they lived happily ever after," Neal read, closing the book with a soft smile. "How about that, huh? Another happy ending!"

His daughter, Clara, smiled and yawned. "It's a fairytale, Dad," she chuckled. "Of course, it's another happy ending! If it was a bad one, it would give us, children, nightmares!" she stated as a matter of fact.

Neal laughed. "Isn't my girl so smart," he teased setting the book down on the bedside table.

"Dad, I want to hear how you and Mom got your happy ending," Clara requested.

"That's a long story, Clara, we don't have time for it tonight," Neal said softly.

"Then tell me how you proposed to Mom. It was during the time you wore the anklet, right?" Clara guessed.

"Yes, it was," Neal nodded.

"I bet it was hard having only a two mile radius to plan a fairytale like proposal," Clara sighed.

"A little, yes, as much as I wanted to propose to your Mother in Paris, your Uncle Peter was like always a kill joy," Neal said releasing a dramatic sigh making Clara giggle.

"Still, I think it was a fairytale proposal," she said happily.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, it's you Dad. You don't do special things for less than that," Clara shrugged with a typical Caffrey grin.

"For that, I'll tell you how the proposal went," Neal beamed and Clara squealed with delight. "I was finishing my third year with the anklet when I realized that your Mother was essential in my life. For most of the time, I didn't want to fall in love or to get married because I was attached to a past girlfriend…"

"Kate?"

"Yes," Neal said softly. "Not only that, but when Kate died, I thought that the only thing I had left was my con ways. I just wanted to get rid of the anklet so I could get some of my life back."

"What happened?" Clara asked.

"Your Mother craved her way into my life and made me see that I had a new one in New York," Neal shrugged with a happy smile. "I realized that I had a family here. I had a good life. Peter was becoming my best friend, my mentor. Elizabeth had so much trust in my change and it was a great influence on me. Sarah…she changed me. She made me want to stay. Made me want to stay and be a consultant and a PTA Dad for the rest of my days," he poked Clara's nose.

"But how did you propose?" Clara insisted.

"One of our very first kind of dates," Neal chuckled. "Was in the rooftop of the FBI building while your Mother was in custody because you know, she can get nosey sometimes," Clara nodded. "So, to propose to her, I went to Hughes and asked if I could get the rooftop for a night…"

"How did he react?" Clara asked blinking.

"He was stunned for a bit before asking for my reasons and when I told him…he just said that I had a night and the next day off," Neal grinned.

"How did you pick Mom's ring? I love it so much," Clara asked.

"It was Aunt El. I needed a feminine help for that kind of decision and Elizabeth volunteer herself. She has a great taste. It was Aunt El that planned our wedding actually," Neal said.

"I know!" Clara said excited. "Mom showed me pictures. Can Aunt El plan my tenth birthday party?"

"Of course she can. You will be a decade old, we need to celebrate that," Neal said kissing Clara's forehead.

"Awesome," Clara grinned. "Now Dad, tell me the rest!"

"Ok, after having the place, the ring…the only thing left was decorating the rooftop!"

"Aunt El helped too, didn't she?"

"I was doomed without her," Neal rolled his eyes and Clara giggled. "I got thousands of lilies, your Mom's favorite; I made her favorite dinner…"

"You're a great cook, Dad," Clara said.

"I know," Neal said wiggling his eyebrows in a fun way. "With Peter and Jones' help I set up a table for dinner with a separate table just for desserts, I made all of your Mom's favorites…strawberry cheesecake especially…I had a lover's seat…it was a romantic set up. Very cliché but deep down, your Mom loves clichés."

"Was she suspicious?" Clara asked excited.

"She knew I had something up my sleeve, like always, but it never crossed her mind that I would propose to her!"

"Why not?"

"I was simply not that kind of man in her eyes," he replied. "Your Mother thought that at the mention of marriage and settling down, I would bolt as far away as my two mile radius could take me!"

"Which was not very far," Clara chuckled.

"True," Neal said laughing along.

"When she saw the ring, what did she do?"

"She almost choked," Neal said.

"No way!" Clara said eyes widening.

"Hey it was my fault! She was eating the cheesecake when I got down on one knee and opened the Tiffany box," Neal grinned.

"But how did she took the proposal?" his daughter insisted with her sapphire blue eyes piercing his crystal ones.

"At first, while she was coughing and stuttering I really thought she was going to say no," Neal said. "But after she calmed down, she said yes, so quietly that I swore that I was imagining things!"

Clara grinned and snuggled into her father. "Mom loves you Dad, she would never say no to you!"

"I know that now. But I was afraid back then," Neal whispered and then cleared his throat. "So, she said yes, we got a beautiful wedding a year later and then had two little munchkins with a third in a way and lived happily ever after," he finished.

Clara laughed. "I want to hear all about the wedding now," she requested.

Neal smiled and got up from the bed, tucking his daughter in and kissing her forehead. "That's a story for another night. Goodnight, Clara."

"Night, Dad," she smiled and closed her eyes.

Leaving the nightlight on, Neal left the room and after checking on Nicholas that was soundly asleep sprawled across his bed, he returned to his and his wife's room. Sarah sat on the bed, reading a book, when she felt her husband coming in and closing the door behind him. She closed the book and set it on her bedside table. "Now, that was a long story," she teased.

Neal grinned and climbed in the bed kissing her lips and then her very round stomach affectionately. "I told her two stories!"

"She has you wrapped around her pinky, doesn't she?" Sarah mused.

"Since day one, that's common knowledge," Neal smiled proudly.

"What was the second story?"

"She wanted to know how I proposed to you!"

"Our daughter loves a good romantic story, doesn't she?" Sarah sighed happily.

"She does," Neal nodded stripping of his clothes. "She gets it from me!"

"I agree, you're the most romantic from the two of us," Sarah said. "Oh!"

"What?" Neal asked alarmed, pulling the t-shirt over his torso.

"He kicked," Sarah smiled taking Neal's hand to her stomach.

"Wow," Neal whispered. "Third time, but this always feels so…"

"New? Magical?"

Neal nodded. "Yes. It's always a little miracle!"

"Your third little miracle," Sarah pointed out. "I think we reached our limit!"

"Agreed," Neal chuckled and kissed her softly. "I love you Sarah Caffrey."

"And I love you, Neal Caffrey!"

Neal smiled and turned off his lamp as Sarah turned off hers. Neal couldn't imagine a better life. For years, he thought his life was nothing without his con ways. Now, his life would be nothing without his wife and children. He couldn't have chosen a better path!


	2. Info

**Hi everyone. The follow up for this Story is up. "Anklet Memories: The Wedding".**

**Please check it out and leave a comment.**

**Lots of Love**

**Cathy**


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